Sundance Institute announced Monday the program of short films selected to screen at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. This year the Festival’s Short Film Program comprises 70 short films from U.S. and international filmmakers selected from 6,092 submissions up 8 percent over 2009. The 2010 Sundance Film Festival runs Jan. 21-31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance, Utah. The complete list of films is available at www.sundance.org/festival.
As previously announced, the Festival will break tradition by foregoing the conventions of one opening night film and instead focus on launching the total program: one narrative film, one documentary, and one shorts program. The short films “I’m Here,” directed by Spike Jonze; “The Fence,” directed by Rory Kennedy; “Logorama,” directed by François Alaux, Hervé de Crécy, and Ludovic Houplain; and “Seeds of the Fall,” directed by Patrik Eklund, will premiere the first Thursday (Jan. 21), beginning the roll out of the competitions. This program showcases a range of short filmmaking with a U.S dramatic short, U.S. documentary short, international dramatic short, and an animated short film.
“Sundance has a long legacy of supporting short filmmaking. Short films are at the core of what independent filmmaking is about — these films are made out of pure passion without commerce in mind. This year, we’re especially excited to screen a short film program as part of the opening of the Festival,” said Trevor Groth, Sundance Film Festival Director of Programming. “We are also continuing the tradition of holding the Short Film Awards mid-week during the Festival. It’s proven to be a great way to bring attention to these artists and their films.”
“This year’s short films show extraordinary creativity and originality. Year after year, it’s a privilege to showcase incredibly high-quality filmmaking, courageous storytelling, and some of the most exciting new voices in independent film,” said Kim Yutani, Sundance Film Festival Programmer.
The Sundance Film Festival’s shorts program has long been established as a discovery for directors, including: Wes Anderson, Todd Haynes, Paul Thomas Anderson, David O Russell, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Tamara Jenkins, Ted Demme, Tim Blake Nelson, Alexander Payne, Paul Dinello, Martin McDonagh, and Jason Reitman.
Said Yutani, “It’s a thrill to see short filmmaking alums such as Jennifer Arnold, the Barnes Brothers, Louis CK, Tamra Davis, Mark and Jay Duplass, Debra Granik, Nicole Holofcener, Eric Mendelsohn, David Michod, Shirin Neshat, Spencer Susser, Taika Waititi, Ken Wardrop, and Sam Taylor Wood return to Sundance with feature films this year.”
Short films screen in Festival theatres prior to select feature films or as part of one of the Festival’s seven short film programs. During the Festival, a Short Film Jury awards prizes based on outstanding achievement and merit in U.S. and International Short Filmmaking. This year’s Short Film Jury consists of Sterlin Harjo (“Barking Water,” “Four Sheets to the Wind,” “Goodnight Irene”), Christine Vachon (“I Shot Andy Warhol,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”), and Brent Hoff (Wholphin DVD). The 2010 Short Film Program Awards Ceremony will be held Tuesday, Jan. 26.
For a complete list of short films including descriptions and cast information, visit www.sundance.org/festival.